THE M O U F L O N, 8cc. 209 



that it is often more than a foot broad, and 

 weighs above twenty pounds. Befides, there is 

 nothing remarkable in this animal but its tail, 

 which it carries as if a cufhion were iixed to its 

 thighs. Among this race of fheep, there are 

 ibme whofe tails are fo long * and heavy, that 

 they are obliged to be fupported by a fmall wheel 

 machine, to enable the animals to walk. In 

 the Levant, this fheep is covered with very fine 

 wool ; but, in warm countries, as Madagascar, 

 and the Indies "|~» it is covered with hair. The 

 redundance of fat, which, in our iheep, fixes a- 

 bout the kidneys, defcends, in thefe animals, u- 

 pon the vertebrae of the tail : The other parts 

 of their bodies are lefs loaded with fat than our 

 fed wedders. This variety fhould be attributed 

 to the food, the climate, and the care of men; 

 for thofe broad or long tailed iheep are domeftic 

 like ours, and even require more care and ma- 

 nagement. This race is much more diffufed 

 than that of the ordinary kind. It is common 

 Vol. VI. 6 in 



* Ovis Arabica altera ; Rati, fynopf. quad. />. 74. Ari 



laniger cauda longiffima. Ovis longicauda ; Brijfon. qt 



; . 76. Note. Raj and Briflbn have made two diftinct fpeci-es 

 of thefe broad and tailed fneep. But Linnaeus has pro- 



perly reduced them to on 



f The ifland of Madagascar produces fneep with tails fo hi 

 that they weigh twenty pounds. They are loaded with 1 , 

 which does not melt, and their flefh is very delicate. The 

 wool of thefe fheep is like goat's hair, Voyage dc Flacourt, p, 



3- The flefh of the wedders and young females has an • - 



cellent favour ; . . p. tc j. 



